USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; genealogy-family history-biography; containing historical sketches of old families and of representative and prominent citizens, past and present, Volume I > Part 33
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Tobias Wagner, grandfather of Mrs. Sharadin, was engaged in farm- ing near Hamburg, Berks county, where he lived and died. His children were Benjamin, Jonas, George and Tobias. Of these Tobias was Mrs. Sharadin's father. For forty years he was engaged as a boss on the Schuylkill canal, in his later life removing to Landingville, Schuylkill county, where he died in 1869. He married Mary Shirey, and they were the parents of the follow- ing children: Amelia married Moses Betz; Edith Catherine married Daniel Sharadin : Rebecca married George Reber ; Daniel is a resident of Mount Carmel, Pa .; Abbie married Amos Hoffman, and lives at Schuylkill Haven;
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Priscilla married Frank Rehm; Susanna married J. D. Rohdes; Alice is the wife of George M. Hoffman.
Edward Sharadin was born March 12, 1876. He obtained his education in the public schools of Schuylkill Haven, and throughout his business career has been connected with the knitting mills established by his father, with whom he began work when only a youth. He had the advantage of excellent business training, and since his father's death has had the management of the mills, which are suffering no deterioration under his direction. He is a young man of substantial qualities, and universally respected in the borough and wher- ever his business and social relations have made him known. He is a member of the Jr. O. U. A. M. and of the Schuylkill Fire Company.
Mr. Sharadin married Jan. 29, 1898, Mary Alma Welsh, daughter of Joseph and Ella (Heinbach) Welsh, and they have a family of four chil- dren : Harold Edward, Elizabeth Catherine, Robert Irvin and Mildred Alma.
G. M. KEISER, of Minersville, Schuylkill county, formerly of Scranton, Pa., began work with the Hillside Coal & Iron Company, of Scranton, in the capacity of clerk. From there he became paymaster and foreman of the Forest City colliery. In 1904 he took charge of the Minor colliery, whence he went to the Pine Hill colliery, of which he had charge for nine years. Mr. Keiser is also connected at present with the Emperor Coal Company, Cumbola Coal Company, Ellsworth Coal Mining Company and Wolf Creek Coal Com- pany.
GEORGE R. DEIBERT, of Landingville, has been a lifelong resident of North Manheim township, where he was born on the old Deibert homestead Oct. 2, 1849. As superintendent for over twenty years of the H. S. Albright & Co. shoe factory he has had intimate association with Schuylkill county's industrial development, the great need for which became apparent a quarter of a century ago. Since it was realized what the establishment of factories providing profitable employment for the people would do for this region local capitalists have entered heartily into manufacturing enterprises, with results which have paid them well from the financial standpoint, besides benefiting their section of the state. The men who have been instrumental in making a success of the new order of things deserve a permanent place on the records of progress in the county, and Mr. Deibert is one of those whose work entitles them to such position. He is a worthy member of an old family which has been a credit to this region for many years.
Richard Deibert, his great-grandfather, was the founder of this branch of the family in Schuylkill county. He was born in Germany, and came with his parents to America, the family settling in Bern township, Berks county, in the then Province of Pennsylvania, near Michael's church. There were five children, three sons and two daughters, Michael, Christopher, Wilhelm, Mrs. George Huntzinger and Mrs. John Gevert. When the sons were grown they moved to Manheim township, Schuylkill county, and married, Wilhelm to a daughter of John Renchler, from Bern township, Berks county, Michael to Elizabeth Waver. In the year 1744 the brothers Wilhelm and Michael bought in partnership three hundred acres of land in North Manheim town- ship, at the road leading from Schuylkill Haven to Landingville, Wilhelm's part being at the location occupied by Edward Peale in 1884, and Michael's where John Filbert lived at that time. The third brother, Christopher, went
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to Virginia in his younger days, and the family did not hear from him after- wards.
In the beginning Wilhelm and Michael Deibert had the Indians for their neighbors, and were molested considerably. Deer and bears were plentiful in the region at that day, and as they divided the meat with the savages when they shot any the Indians became more friendly. In the pamphlet published in 1884 by Daniel Deibert, a grandson of Wilhelm Deibert, we find this para- graph: "My grandfather said after the Indians went away, some of them came back again to rob them of their planting fruits. My grandfather and his brother Michael had to flee over the Blue mountains to their father's home. They buried their implements on the other side of the Schuylkill river, in the woods, that the Indians could not get them; but when they came back they didn't find them any more. They didn't find them till the Schuylkill canal was made, then they dug them out again."
Michael Deibert (according to the same pamphlet) had five sons and two daughters, Henry, Andrew, Michael, Christian, John, Catharine and Elizabeth. Henry married Miss Kriner; Andrew, Miss Luckenbill ; Michael, Miss Luck- enbill (they had no children) ; Christian, Miss Miller ; Catharine, John Dewald ; Elizabeth, Daniel Repp. The father, Michael, died on his property in North Manheim township, and is buried at the Red Church in this county.
John Deibert, son of Michael, was born in North Manheim township, and was a farmer by occupation. He is buried in the old cemetery at Schuylkill Haven. He was twice married, the maiden name of his first wife being Rench- ler, of his second Wagner. His children were as follows: Daniel, who lived in Schuylkill Haven ; George; Jacob, who died at Schuylkill Haven ; John, who died at Schuylkill Haven; Benjamin, who died at Pottsville; William, who died in the Upper Mahantongo valley in Schuylkill county ; Samuel; Hannah, wife of John Hummel, of Selinsgrove, Pa .; and Christine, who married Henry Shelly and lived at Pottsville.
George Deibert, son of John and grandson of Michael, was born at the old homestead of his parents, and followed farming all his life, dying when a comparatively young man; he is buried in the Union cemetery. He had many interesting experiences in the early days. His father owned a large tract of land where Fishbach is now located (near Pottsville), then thickly wooded. When the timber was cut it was floated down the Schuylkill. One day, while going past what is now known as Mount Carmel, he was followed by a wolf, and hastened to reach the river so that the animal might lose his scent when he forded the stream. When somewhat older he had another exciting time while plowing on the homestead, on the Second mountain. . A deer ran out and got into a pond, and Mr. Deibert, thinking he could kill it, went into the water after it, but the animal almost drowned him. He also had some adventures with panthers.
Mr. Deibert married Amelia Susanna Reed, daughter of James Reed, and she survived him many years, living to the age of seventy-one. The following children were born to them: Charles V. B., of Schuylkill Haven : Sarah, who married Abraham Sharadin ; Mahlon, who died when nine years old: Amanda, who married Harrison Berger ; James, who died on the old homestead in North Manheim township ; Frank ; George R., mentioned below ; Hannah, who mar- ried Edward Schappell; Elwin, living at Schuylkill Haven; and William, who died when sixteen years old.
George R. Deibert was educated in the public schools of his township. and
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was reared a farmer, doing agricultural work until eighteen years old. For the next six years he was engaged as a clerk at Landingville, and then returned to farming, which he followed for five years. Coming back to Landingville he became assistant agent of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company at this point, in time being appointed agent, in which capacities he served for a period of fourteen years. In 1892 he became superintendent at Landingville for H. S. Albright & Co., whose shoe factory at this place is a branch of the Orwigsburg plant, and he has filled the position continuously since-which statement is the most flattering comment upon his services which could be made. Mr. Deibert has given practically all his time to his duties at the factory, taking little part in outside affairs except for his social connections. He is a past master of Schuylkill Lodge, No. 138, F. & A. M., of Orwigsburg, and a mem- ber of I. O. O. F. Lodge, No. 157. Politically he is a Democrat, and in religious connection a Lutheran.
Mr. Deibert married Mary A. Deibert, and of the children born to them two died in infancy ; William died when twenty-four years old; George A. died September 26, 1913, at the age of thirty-seven years; Ella May is the wife of Charles G. Matz, a merchant of Landingville ; Carlton C. is agent at Kutztown, Berks Co., Pa., for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company.
Mrs. Deibert is a granddaughter of George Deibert, who owned the farm now the property of Rubens H. Peale, in North Manheim township. His wife Mary was a daughter of Daniel Faust.
William Deibert, son of George and Mary ( Faust) Deibert, was born on the homestead in North Manheim township. Though he engaged in farming to some extent he was occupied principally as a builder of boats which were used in the Schuylkill canal trade. He died at Landingville when eighty years old. His wife, Henrietta (Kulp), lived to the age of eighty-nine years, and they are buried at Orwigsburg. They had children as follows: Rebecca, Henry, George, Elizabeth, Albert, Charles, Susan, and Mary A. (Mrs. George R. Deibert).
SAMUEL STRAUSE has his home and business interests in the vicinity of Pottsville, and has lived in Schuylkill county from boyhood, but he belongs to Berks county stock. However, his father is a resident of this county and his grandfather lived here for some years.
The name is found in various forms, being spelled Strause, Strauss and Strouse by different branches of the family, which is an old and honored one in this Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Its members in their different genera- tions have been prominent in the public life of their local communities, and several of wider fame throughout the State and nation. Thrift seems to have followed the family history since its first coming to America from the Father- land, back in the eighteenth century, and many of its members have been men of wealth and influence in the financial world.
On Sept. 26, 1732, there landed in the city of Philadelphia from Wurtem- berg. Germany, two brothers of the name of Strauss, Albrecht and John Philip. They were mere boys, the elder, Albrecht, swearing in his oath of allegiance, then necessary to take on landing, that he was but twenty, while John Philip left a record in the family Bible that he was born Sept. 13, 1713. They soon appeared in Berks county, Pa., where in the vicinity of what is now Bernville they each took up large tracts of land, a part of the original acres still being held by members of the present generation. They were both Lutherans, so
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that their marriages, the births of their children, and indeed the whole Strauss family history, became a part of the records of the church.
Albrecht Strauss, the elder of the brothers, took up a tract of 350 acres, upon which he settled, and reared a large family, eleven in all, their mother, whom he married in 1734, being Anna Margaret Zerbe, who came with her father, Martin Zerbe, from Schoharie, N. Y., in 1723. The children were as follows : (1) Maria Barbara, born Nov. 16, 1735, married June 2, 1754, John Kloss (now spelled Klohs), born in Brechkebel, Hanau, Germany, Dec. 6, 1723, son of Thomas and Margaret Kloss, with whom he came to America in 1738. They resided a little north of Reading, and were the parents of ten children, six of whom survived and left issue, viz .: Maria Elizabeth, married to Abraham Schneider; Maria Barbara, married to John Adam Spengler ; Maria Christina, married to Conrad Scheop (Shepp) ; Maria Magdalena, mar- ried to Philip Huyett; Maria Catharine, married to William Diehm; and Jacob-all leaving numerous descendants. (2) John Jacob Strauss, born May 5, 1737, married Elizabeth Brecht, Aug. 21, 1759. They lived on a part of the homestead acres north of Bernville, and became the parents of nine children, viz .: Albrecht, who remained on the homestead; John, who settled near Or- wigsburg, Schuylkill county ; David; Elizabeth ; Philip; Jacob ; Samuel ; Mich- ael, and Catharine. This branch also became very numerous. (3) Maria Elizabeth (twin of John Jacob), born May 5, 1737, married John Daniel Madery, May 4, 1760. So far as known three children were born to them, namely : Maria Eva Rosina, John Thomas and Michael. (4) Anna Elizabeth was born March 25, 1739. (5) John Casper, born Aug. 5, 1741, died in in- fancy. (6) Maria Eva Rosina, born Nov. 6, 1742, married Christopher Schaber, Nov. 9, 1762. The records of the old Red Church, near Orwigsburg, Pa., show the baptism of five of their children, viz .: Maria Elizabeth, March 29, 1771 ; John, Oct. 4, 1772; John Philip, Feb. 9, 1775; Eva Rosina, April 4, 1779, and Daniel, March 4, 1781. (7) Maria Catharine, born March 6, 1745, married John Long Nov. 9, 1762, and their son, John Jacob, was born Aug. 7, 1763. (8) John Philip, born Jan. 4, 1748, married Sevilla, daughter of Benedict and Maria Salone Kepner, April 21, 1771. They moved to Cumber- land (now Juniata) county, Pa., before the Revolution, purchasing four hun- dred acres of land along the Juniata river, the homestead residence being at Mexico Station on the Pennsylvania railroad. They had eight children, viz. : John; Jacob, born Oct. 5, 1775, who walked out to Ohio in 1799 and settled in Pickaway county, and left numerous and influential descendants; Polly ; Betsy; Catharine; David, one of whose descendants, Philip, still owns the ancestral homestead; Susannah, and Sidney. (9) Maria Christina was born July 26, 1751. (10) Maria Susanna, born Oct. 5, 1753, married Benjamin Kebner, May 24, 1774, and they also resided in the Juniata valley, near Mexico. (II) John Samuel is mentioned below.
Albrecht Strauss was a prominent man of the locality during his time ; and his penmanship denoted that he was an educated man. He was naturalized by the "Supream Court" of the Province on Sept. 24, 1755, the certificate thereof now being in the possession of his great-great-grandson, B. Morris Strauss. He died a short time previous to May 7, 1787, which is the date of the filing of his administration papers. His wife died about the same time.
John Philip Strauss, the younger of the emigrant brothers, took up about 250 acres of land, including (1908) Rev. Mr. Trexler's farm and the tract of Adam W. Strauss. On Feb. 28, 1744, he married Anna Margaret Reimer.
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He died shortly before May 28, 1792 (the date of the probate of his will). His wife is mentioned in his will and must have been still living then. Their nine children were: (1) Anna Magdalena, born Dec. 21, 1744, married John George Thomas, born July 1, 1746, son of John and Barbara Long. Their children were: John, Anna Margaret, Maria Catharine, Christian, Maria Elizabeth, John Philip, Jacob, Thomas and Daniel. She died April 5, 1823; and he, May 20, 1823. (2) Anna Elizabeth, born Sept. 18, 1746, married George Daniel Gicker, Nov. 26, 1776. They had children. (3) Maria Chris- tina, born Feb. 20, 1749, married on June 3. 1773, Christian Zerbe, born Dec. 25, 1750, son of John and Catharine Zerbe. They moved to White Deer town- ship, Northumberland (now Union ) county, Pa. They had a family of eleven children : John George, John, Maria Catharine, Susanna, Jacob, Maria Chris- tina, Henry, Mary Salome, Elizabeth, Anna Maria and Samuel. (4) Casper, born Jan. 27, 1751, married Elizabeth Schreck. They left issue, viz .: John (Dec. 2, 1780-April 7, 1876), Ludwig, Benjamin, Matilda, Susanna and Anna Maria. (5) Maria Catharine was born Dec. 22, 1752. (6) John Philip, born Nov. 9. 1754, married Susanna Wenrich, Sept. 23, 1783. He obtained the home- stead and died there July 20, 1816. Their children as far as known were: John, Susanna, Joseph, Philip ( Feb. 1, 1790-May [2, 1885), Daniel, Elizabeth, Sybilla, Anna Margaret and Mary Magdalena. (7) John Jacob, born May 5, 1757, married Barbara Zerbe, June 14, 1785. He died Oct. 22, 1822; his wife probably preceded him in death, as she is not mentioned in his will. They had the following children as far as known: Catharine, Barbara, Daniel, Magda- lena, Peter, Sarah, Adam and Susanna. (8) Christian, born June 16, 1762, married Catharine, daughter of Joseph Schneider. They had as far as known two children, Elizabeth and Catharine. (9) John Matthias, born April 16, 1762, married (first ) Magdalena Schneider, on May 25, 1790. After the death of his wife he married (second) Sept. 10, 1797, Frederica Gottel. He died March 4, 1819, and his wife survived him.
John Samuel Strauss, youngest child of Albrecht, was born May 13, 1756. On Nov. 10, 1784, he married Catharine Elizabeth (born May 10, 1758), daughter of Balthaser and Maria Appalonia Umbenhauer, the owner of a large tract of land including the site of Bernville, Pa. On Aug. 5, 1784, he became the owner of the homestead by purchase, whereon they resided all their life. He, as also did his cousin, John Philip, son of Philip, served actively in the Revolutionary struggle, and was an influential and useful citizen of his locality. He died March 25, 1835, his wife having preceded him, Dec. 16, 1821. They had a family of thirteen children, viz .: John, the founder of Strausstown; Maria Magdalena, married to Tobias Henne ; John Philip ( Sept. 26, 178-Feb. 12, 1865) ; Samuel : Johanna, married to Samuel Greim; John Jacob (Nov. 23, 1788-Nov. 9, 1877) ; Elizabeth Strauss ( Feb. 12, 1790-Aug. 19, 1875), mar- ried to Elias Redcay ; Susanna ; Joseph ; John William (Oct. 26, 1795-Oct. 13, 1885) ; Catharine: Benjamin (April 30, 1800-Dec. 14, 1886) ; and Jonathan. This family was noted for longevity.
Samuel Strause, grandfather of Samuel Strause, of Pottsville, was born in Bethel township, Berks county, and died in 1904, at Summit Station. Schuylkill county, aged eighty-four years, eighteen days. In early life he was a carpenter, in his later years a hotelkeeper, conducting a hotel in Berks county for twenty-two years, and one at Summit Station for four years. The latter part of his life was spent with his son Frank, who is still a business man of Summit Station ; he is buried at the Blue Mountain Church at Strauss-
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town, Berks county. To his marriage with Susan Miller was born a large family : Monroe; Adam; James; Charles; Frank, born Sept. 28, 1856, at Schubert, Berks county ; Mary, who married Simeon Weber, of Berks county ; Anna, who married Andrew Cottaman, of Myerstown, Lebanon Co., Pa .; Caroline (Callie), deceased, who was the wife of P. S. Kremer, of Summit Station; Susan, who married Charles Roeder, of Summit Station; Jane, who married George Krommes; Matilda, deceased; and Kate, deceased.
Monroe Strause was born in Bethel township, Berks county, and during his youth and early manhood followed carpenter work in Berks and Schuylkill counties. He is now located at Roeders, Schuylkill county, which is near Summit Station, and operates a gristmill, being one of the successful business men of his section. He married Hettie Emerick, who died in 1910, and is buried at the Summit Hill Church. She was a member of the Lutheran Church, to which Mr. Strause also belongs. They had four children: Katie, Wilson, Samuel and Robert.
Samuel Strause, son of Monroe, was born Oct. 8, 1866, near Strausstown, in Bethel township, Berks county, and attended school in his native county and later in Schuylkill county. Reared on the farm, he followed agricultural work until about twenty-three years old, when he engaged in the hotel business in North Manheim township, Schuylkill county, conducting the "Fairview Hotel" for four years. After that he became interested as a dealer in implements at the same location, and he has continued that business to the present. In 1900 he started there also what is now his principal line, the manufacture of all kinds of lumber, mining timber, ties and laggings, having a portable mill and cut- ting timber in Schuylkill county, Berks and Chester counties. He has estab- lished a large trade for his product in the hard coal region, employing twenty- five to thirty men. Mr. Strause has acquired valuable property in the course of his energetic career, owning two fine farms in Schuylkill county, one of 167 acres in Wayne township and another of 127 acres in North Manheim town- ship, the latter being the old Weissinger homestead, where he makes his home. He has his office in the Morris building (Room II), in Pottsville. He is a public-spirited citizen, an independent voter who gives his support to good men and measures regardless of their political sponsors. Socially he is an Odd Fellow and Mason, in the latter connection holding membership in Cressona Lodge, No. 426, F. & A. M.
Mr. Strause married Mary Ida Stoyer, daughter of Samuel F. Stoyer, and three children have been born to them, Amos, Emily and Anna. The family are Lutherans.
Samuel Stoyer, of Greenwich township, Berks county, grandfather of Mrs. Strause, married Catherine Focht, of Windsor township, that county, and to this union there were born children as follows: Samuel F. is mentioned be- low ; Benneville married Catherine Raubenhold ; Daniel married Anna Miller : Elizabeth married Jacob Kepner ; Hannah married William Kepner ; Catherine married John Billman ; Sallie married William Deisher.
Samuel F. Stoyer, son of Samuel and now of Bethel township, where he has been a farmer for thirty-five years, was born and reared in Hamburg. He married Catherine Weidner, daughter of Jonathan Weidner, and to them were born twelve children: Henry married Catherine Dunkel; Susan married Andrew Schmeltzer; Franklin married Mary Schreck; Sarah married John Peiffer ; Charles married Clara Moore ; Caroline married Warren F. Kline ; Amanda married George Snyder; Mary Ida married Samuel Strause ; Anna
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married Charles Strause; Samuel married Clara Resh; Joel married Mame Reber ; John died in infancy.
WILLIAM M. WAGNER, of Orwigsburg, formerly a leading merchant of that borough but now retired from that line and devoting his time principally to financial interests, is a typical representative of a family whose substantial qualities have not only won them prosperity but contributed to the well-being of the community. Its connection with the history of Luzerne county dates back to the early days, when Christopher Wagner, the great-grandfather of William M. Wagner, came to this country from Germany. He was an early settler in what is now West Brunswick township, where he acquired the own- ership of a large tract of land and followed farming. During the latter years of his life he removed to Orwigsburg, where he spent the remainder of his days ; he is buried there. We have record of four of his children: William ; Benjamin ; Polly, wife of Benjamin Neff ; and Rebecca, Mrs. Hoffman. There were several others who removed from Schuylkill county.
William Wagner, son of Christopher, was born on the farm in West Brunswick township, Schuylkill county, and in the course of time took over that property, where he followed agricultural pursuits all his life. He died there at the age of fifty years, and is buried at Orwigsburg. His wife, Eliza- beth (Neff), who was born at Kutztown, Berks Co., Pa., died at the age of sixty-five years. They were the parents of the following children: Franklin WV .; William F .; Levi N .; Morgan, who died young ; Martha, who died young ; Martha (2), wife of J. Henry Diefenderfer; Joanna, wife of Beneville Kimmel; and Victoria, who never married. The only survivor of this family is Martha, who is now a widow and resides at Auburn, Schuylkill county.
Franklin W. Wagner was a native of West Brunswick township, and passed his boyhood in the usual manner of farmer's sons. When a young man he started to clerk for Mr. Huntzinger and after acquiring some experience engaged in the mercantile business on his own account at Orwigsburg, doing a successful business for twelve years, until succeeded by his son, William, in the ownership. After that he continued to assist about the store for twelve years longer. At present this old established business is being carried on by the firm of Wagner & Linder-the former George T. Wagner, son of Franklin W., the latter his brother-in-law, George R. Linder. The store is still main- tained as one of the leading mercantile establishments of the town.
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